Journal pad lubricator



July 8, 1969 e. B. TRACEY,

JOURNAL PAD LUBRICATOR Sheet Filed Jan. 26, 1968 FIG.I.

INVENTOR GEORGE B.TRACEY l i l6 I2 26 1O July 8, 1969 G. B. TRACEY JOURNAL PAD LUBRICATOR Sheet 2 of 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1968 FIG.5.

, INVENTOR GEORGE B. TRACEY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,454,315 JOURNAL PAD LUBRICATOR George B. Tracey, Baltimore, Md., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Journapak Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 700,962 Int. Cl. F16c 1/24, 33/00 US. Cl. 308-243 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A railway car journal box lubricator having a central core of resilient material divided into spaced core elements, highly absorptive wick like material covering the top, bottom and adjacent facing surfaces of the core elements, an outer covering of looped pile fabric covering the core elements and wick-like material and extending laterally to form hollow side wings filled with wick-like material.

This invention relates to a journal lubricator for use in the journal box of a railway car axle to absorb lubricant from the bottom of the journal box and carry the same by capillary action to the car axle.

One object of my invention is to provide a structure that is highly absorptive and will greatly increase the capillary action of the lubricator over those now known.

Another object is to provide such a lubricator with a center capillary lubricant feed which will more evenly and efliciently distribute lubricant over the entire surface of the axle riding in the journal, and will have greater lubricant retention qualities.

Still another object is to provide a lubricator of improved structural stability and one which will remain in proper position in the journal box for long periods of time.

Briefly described, applicants lubricator comprises several spaced but closely adjacent resilient sponge like resilient pads, said pads being covered on their upper and lower surfaces and their closely adjacent ends with Roving cloth or cloth of Wick-like highly absorptive material and the thus covered pads provided with an outer cover of a backed knitted material having a looped pile outer surface. The cover is extended laterally outwardly on each side of the pads and formed into pocketed wings which are filled with highly absorptive material.

Other important objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a transverse sectional view through a car journal box with a lubricator according to my invention in place therein;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of such journal box and lubricator;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the lubricator partially opened up to show the interior construction;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lubricator; and

FIGURE 5 is a detail plan view of a portion of the Roving cloth or wicking material used in the lubricator.

Referring to the drawing in more detail, FIGURES 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional journal box designated B with the end of a conventional car axle designated A positioned therein and adapted to rotate and be supported on a conventional bearing element or brass designated C. The journal box B is designed to form a lubricant reservoir as seen at R in the lower portion thereof below the car axle. To lubricate the car axle with lubricant from the reservoir some means must be provided to trans- 3,454,315 Patented July 8, 1969 fer or feed the lubricant from the reservoir to the axle as it rotates. The first known means utilized loose cotton waste stuffed in the journal box below the axle to absorb the lubricant by capillary action and apply it to the axle as it rotated in contact with lubricant saturated waste. Later, unitized lubricators came into use which obviated many of the disadvantages of loose waste. It is to such a lubricator of highly improved form which applicants invention relates and which is described hereinafter.

My lubricator comprises a resilient core composed of two or more core elements or blocks 10 and 10 of porous spongy material such as natural or synthetic rubber or any of the numerous synthetic or plastic materials'now available, for example, polyurethane, which have a spongy absorbent character and yet are impervious to the action of lubricant which they must contact and absorb.

The resilient core elements 10 and 10 are covered on their top, bottom and confrontingfaces with a relatively thick cloth known as Roving cloth 11 which is made up of parallel strands of wicking 12 held in side by side relationship by cross stitching 13 as shown in detail in FIGURE 5. One or more layers of such cloth 11 may be employed and when in place on the core elements form U-shaped covers with the bases 14 and 14' of the Us lying against each other between the confronting faces of the core elements and the legs 15, 16 and 15', 16 of the Us lying on the top and bottom surfaces of the core elements 10 and 10' respectively.

The core elements 10 and 10 with their coverings 11 are enclosed in outer cover 17 formed of upper and lower sections of looped pile fabric 18 and 19 respectively, which fabric has highly absorptive qualities. As may be seen in FIGURES 1 and 3 the upper section 18 covers the top surfaces of both wick enclosed core members while the lower section 19 covers the bottom surfaces of both wick enclosed core members and the upper and lower sections are brought together at the sides of the core members and are there fastened together at 20 and 21 to hold the core members together and enclose the same on top, bottom and sides thereof.

The upper and lower sections 18 and 19 of the outer cover beyond the points Where they are fastened together at 20 and 21 extend laterally outwardly of the enclosed core members and form wings 22 and 23. These wings may, if desired, be padded by enclosing additional wicking material 24 and 25 between the portions of the sections 18 and 19 which form the wings. This additional padding in the wings will not only assist in holding the upper surfaces of the wings in wiping contact with the axle journal as seen in FIGURE 1 but due to its high absorptive qualities will retain a good quantity of lubricant and thus feed the same in adequate quantities to the looped pile fabric outer covering to be wiped on the axle journal.

A relatively wide fabric tape 26 encircling the core elements immediately under the outer loop pile fabric covering may be provided to facilitate removal of the lubricator from the journal box. A ring 27 is fastened in the tape for engagement by a tool to assist in the removal operation.

In operation it is evident that due to the high absorptive qualities of the parts of the lubricator that an adequate supply of lubricant will be supplied to the journal at all times. The V-shaped inner coverings extending-s over the top and bottom surfaces and between the adjacent surfaces of the core elements are particularly important to the efiiciency of operation of the device. These elements act as wicks to quickly absorb lubricant from the reservoir in the journal box and carry the same upwardly between the core elements to the upper surfaces thereof and there feed the looped pile fabric outer covering and uniformly saturate the same for uniform distribution to the entire surface of the axle journal.

Having thus described a preferred form of my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A journal box lubricator comprising:

(a) at least two core elements of resilient absorptive material in juxtaposed spaced relationship with respect to one another,

(b) a piece of fabric composed of highly absorptive wicking material covering the top, bottom and one side face of each of said core elements, the side faces of said core elements covered by said wicking material being adjacent each other and the wicking material occupying the space between adjacent core elements,

(c) an outer covering of highly absorptive fabric covering the top and bottom of the core elements covered by the wicking material and contacting the same and holding the same in position, said outer covering further contacting two side faces of the core elements adjacent the top, bottom and side faces covered by the wicking material,

((1) wings of the same material as the outer covering extending laterally from the last mentioned two side faces, said wings being hollow and filled with wicking material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1962 Sockell 308--243 MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, Primary Examiner.

F. SUSKO, Assistant Examiner. 

